Systems and methods for inspecting pipelines using a robotic imaging system

ABSTRACT

Devices and methods for conducting pipeline inspecting operations are disclosed. Embodiments may include a robotic crawler or other devices with a plurality of arms, which carry imaging equipment, such as radiation sources and linear detectors disposed on or coupled to arms of the plurality of arms. The robotic crawler is configured to traverse a target pipeline, and the arms of the plurality of arms are configured to rotate with respect to the pipeline to move the radiation sources and/or the linear detectors in order to avoid an obstruction on the target pipeline while traversing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/208,459 filed Dec. 3, 2018, and entitled“SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INSPECTING PIPELINES USING A ROBOTIC IMAGINGSYSTEM,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference inits entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to inspection ofabove ground pipelines, and more particularly, to systems and methodsfor obstacle avoidance during inspection of a pipeline using a pipelineinspection robot.

BACKGROUND

Above ground pipelines develop internal corrosion as well as corrosionunderneath insulation (“CUI”) on the exterior of the pipe. CUI typicallyoccurs due to a moisture buildup on the external surface of insulatedequipment. The corrosion itself is most commonly galvanic, chloride,acidic, or alkaline corrosion. If undetected, the results of CUI canlead to leaks, the eventual shutdown of a pipeline, and in rare cases itmay lead to a safety incident. Accordingly, it is important toperiodically inspect above ground pipelines for the presence ofcorrosion.

Current methods of inspecting above ground pipelines have typicallyentailed the erection of scaffolding, hazardous usage of radiationsources, and/or use of imaging equipment mounted on poles and positionedby hand to inspect and image the pipeline. Moreover, existing inspectionmethods generally require multiple series of images to be acquired tocapture multiple angles of view by performing multiple traversals of thepipeline. These manual methods are labor intensive, time consuming, andcostly to entities inspecting their pipelines.

Previous attempts to improve the inspection process have involved asemi-automated collar system with a vehicle mounted to a top of thepipeline. Resulting imagery from such a system has taken the form of avideo or series of film-type images for a single view of the pipeline.Such imagery is also time and labor intensive to review as it requires auser to examine the entire video and/or long series of images.Additionally, multiple views of the pipeline are still needed in orderto properly inspect the pipeline. Similar to manual techniques, thesecollar systems also require multiple traversals of the pipeline toobtain these views, which also result in multiple sets of data to bereviewed. These systems also suffer from further practical issues whichhinder usage. For example, radiation sources and imaging techniquesemployed with the collar system require a large exclusion zone to beutilized that technicians must not enter while collecting images due tohazardous radiation sources employed in the imaging techniques. Theimaging systems are also heavy, which hinders the operability of therespective vehicle.

SUMMARY

The following summarizes some aspects of the present disclosure toprovide a basic understanding of the discussed technology. This summaryis not an extensive overview of all contemplated features of thedisclosure, and is intended neither to identify key or critical elementsof all aspects of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of any orall aspects of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present someconcepts of one or more aspects of the disclosure in summary form as aprelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The present application discloses systems, devices, and methods forrobotic inspection of above-ground pipelines. Embodiments may include arobotic crawler having a plurality of arms, and imaging equipmentdisposed on and/or coupled to the plurality of arms. The imagingequipment may include radiation sources and linear detectors disposed onor coupled to arms of the plurality of arms. The robotic crawler may beconfigured to traverse a target pipeline, and the arms of the pluralityof arms may be configured to rotate with respect to the pipeline to movethe radiation sources and/or the linear detectors in order to avoid anobstruction on the target pipeline while traversing the pipeline.

Embodiments of the present application may include a robotic deviceconfigured for pipeline inspection operations. The robotic device maycomprise at least one radiation source, and at least one linear detectorcoupled to a first arm of a plurality of arms. The at least one lineardetector may be configured to be disposed along a first side of thepipeline during the pipeline inspection operations. In aspects, at leastone arm of the plurality of arms may be configured to rotate to move atleast one of the at least one radiation source and the at least onelinear detector in order to avoid an obstruction on the pipeline.

In another embodiment, a method of operation for a pipeline inspectionrobot is provided. The method may include deploying the pipelineinspection device onto a pipeline. The pipeline inspection device mayinclude at least one radiation source, at least one linear detectorcoupled to a first arm of a plurality of arms, and the plurality ofarms. The method further includes initiating pipeline inspectionoperations, wherein the pipeline inspection operations include rotatingat least one arm of the plurality of arms of the pipeline inspectiondevice to move at least one of the at least one radiation source and theat least one linear detector in order to avoid an obstruction on thepipeline.

In yet another embodiment, a method of manufacturing a pipelineinspection robot is provided. The method may include placing at leastone radiation source on a robotic device configured for pipelineinspection operations, and placing at least one linear detector on therobotic device. The at least one linear detector may be coupled to afirst arm of a plurality of arms of the robotic device, and the at leastone linear detector may be configured to be disposed along a first sideof a pipeline during the pipeline inspection operations. The method mayalso include configuring at least one arm of the plurality of arms torotate to move at least one of the at least one radiation source and theat least one linear detector in order to avoid an obstruction on thepipeline during pipeline operations.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technicaladvantages of the present invention in order that the detaileddescription of the invention that follows may be better understood.Additional features and advantages of the invention will be describedhereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. Itshould be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conceptionand specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis formodifying or designing other structures for carrying out the samepurposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by thoseskilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic ofthe invention, both as to its organization and method of operation,together with further objects and advantages will be better understoodfrom the following description when considered in connection with theaccompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, thateach of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration anddescription only and is not intended as a definition of the limits ofthe present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the presentdisclosure may be realized by reference to the following drawings. Inthe appended figures, similar components or features may have the samereference label. Further, various components of the same type may bedistinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a secondlabel that distinguishes among the similar components. If just the firstreference label is used in the specification, the description isapplicable to any one of the similar components having the same firstreference label irrespective of the second reference label.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating details of a pipeline inspectionrobot and remote control equipment according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating example blocks of a method ofoperation for a pipeline inspection robot according to some embodimentsof the present disclosure.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a pipeline inspection robot accordingto some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3B is another perspective view of a pipeline inspection robotaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic of internal components of a data interface unit ofa pipeline inspection robot according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic of external components of a data interface unit ofa pipeline inspection robot according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6 is a schematic of additional external components of a datainterface unit of a pipeline inspection robot according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cable connection between remotecontrol equipment and a pipeline inspection robot according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an arrangement of remote controlequipment connected to a pipeline inspection robot according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a screenshot illustrating user interface components forcontrolling movement of a pipeline inspection robot according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a screenshot illustrating user interface components forcontrolling acquisition of image data by a pipeline inspection robotaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a screenshot illustrating display of a static image formed ofimage data acquired by a pipeline inspection robot according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a screenshot illustrating user interface components forperforming automated scan by a pipeline inspection robot according tosome embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a screenshot illustrating user interface controls forprocessing of a static image formed of image data acquired by a pipelineinspection robot according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 14 is a screenshot illustrating user interface controls foradditional processing of a static image formed of image data acquired bya pipeline inspection robot according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 15 is a screenshot illustrating application of a filter to a staticimage formed of image data acquired by a pipeline inspection robotaccording to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a screenshot illustrating user interface controls for furtherprocessing of a static image formed of image data acquired by a pipelineinspection robot according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 17 is a screenshot illustrating user interface controls foranalyzing a static image formed of image data acquired by a pipelineinspection robot according to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a pipeline inspection robot configuredfor obstacle avoidance operations according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 19 is another perspective view of a pipeline inspection robotconfigured for obstacle avoidance operations according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 20 is yet another perspective view of a pipeline inspection robotconfigured for obstacle avoidance operations according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 21 shows an operational flow diagram illustrating example blocksexecuted to implement aspects of the present disclosure

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below, in connection with theappended drawings, is intended as a description of various possibleconfigurations and is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.Rather, the detailed description includes specific details for thepurpose of providing a thorough understanding of the inventive subjectmatter. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that thesespecific details are not required in every case and that, in someinstances, well-known structures and components are shown in blockdiagram form for clarity of presentation.

This disclosure relates generally to inspection of above groundpipelines. A pipeline inspection robot is disclosed that employs one ormore transmission sources (e.g., X-ray tubes) with one or more detectors(e.g., linear detectors) to capture images of a pipeline. Improvementsand advantages exhibited by the pipeline inspection robot include a lessdangerous radiation source in the form of one or more X-ray tubes. Forexample, some embodiments may use a pair of 12 Watt X-ray tubes, butother embodiments may employ a different number or wattage X-tubes(e.g., a single 900 W X-ray tube). The exclusion zone may thus bereduced to less than two feet from the pipeline inspection robot.Additional improvements and advantages result by employing X-ray tubesand linear detectors to capture images of the pipeline from multipleviews (e.g., azimuths) in a single traversal. The resulting imagery mayfurther be converted to a static image for processing and analysis.

Referring to FIG. 1, a pipeline inspection robot 100 and remote controlequipment 150 have various components. For example, the pipelineinspection robot 100 may have one or more motors 102, such as motorsconnected to drive tracks that move the robot to traverse the pipeline.Alternatively or additionally, the motors may drive other types oftraversal mechanisms, such as wheels, hands, feet, claws, teeth,propeller, wing, winch, fin or any other type of mechanism that can beused to motivate traversal of a horizontal or non-horizontal pipeline.Motors 102 may also include one or more of encoders or resolvers toprovide feedback to control equipment. Additionally, the pipelineinspection robot may have one or more imaging transmission sources 104(e.g., X-ray tubes) and one or more detectors 106, such as lineardetectors (collectively referred to as imaging components). Further, thepipeline inspection robot may have a control box 108.

Control box 108 of pipeline inspection robot 100 may have variouscomponents, such as power supply circuitry 110 and power cleaningcircuitry 112 to supply power to other components. Power supplycircuitry may be connected to an external power or a generator source.Inclinometer 114 may be included to sense and correct the relativeplacement of the robot on the pipeline in such a way that it stays ontop of the pipeline and levels, orients, and/or centers the robotautomatically throughout traversal of the pipeline. Motor controller 116may operate the motors 102 according to input from the inclinometer andother input from an operator that determines a speed and direction oftravel for the robot to both drive the robot and to make orientationcorrections to the robot. It is appreciated that the orientation andlevel of the robot may be desired to be maintained in as much of aconstant position as possible, such maintenance is better for uniformimaging and for the safety of the robot itself. Internal communicationcircuitry 118 may relay signals between the components of the controlbox 108. A video encoder 120 may be provided with one or more camerasthat may be disposed to capture images in an inspection area in avicinity of the robot. The video encoder 120 may perform somepreprocessing of the captured images to encode one or more videostreams. Images captured at detectors 106 may be processed and/orencoded by separate processing circuitry within robot 100 or such datamay also be processed within video encoder 120. It is appreciated thatthe video encoder is generally utilized when the image capture devicesare in video format and the use of digital still cameras would generallyobviate the need for encoder 120. Alternatively, imaging data capturedat detectors 106 may be remotely processed as discussed in more detailbelow whether with control box 108 or at a remote station. Externalcommunication circuitry 122 may provide wired or wireless communicationwith remote control equipment 150.

Components of remote control equipment 150 may include a user interface152 and image data storage 154. In turn, user interface 152 may have acontrol interface 156 for controlling movement of the robot, and animage acquisition interface 158 that controls acquisition of image data162 acquired by the robot, display of the image data 162 in a scrollingfashion, and conversion of the acquired image data into a static image,such as a Digital Imaging and Communication in Non-DestructiveEvaluation (DICONDE) static image 164. Additionally, user interface 152may include components 160 for processing and/or analyzing the staticimage. The illustrated interfaces comprise custom designed robot controlsoftware and image acquisition and display software. The robot controlsoftware using feedback from the motor encoders or resolvers, axleencoders and inclinometer controls speed and position of the robot onthe pipeline and precisely matches the speed of the robot with theacquisition speed of a linear detector. It may also precisely indexdistance if a field array is used.

Additional details regarding the robot 100 and remote control equipment150 are provided below with respect to certain embodiments describedwith reference to FIGS. 3-18. It is also appreciated that while variousaspects are illustrated as separate functional blocks, each of theseaspects may utilize either separate or combined computing resources suchas processors, memories, etc. Still further details regarding mechanicaland electro mechanical aspects of the robot 100 may be found in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 16/208,406, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODSFOR INSPECTING PIPELINES USING A PIPELINE INSPECTION ROBOT,” filed Dec.3, 2018 by Applicant. The disclosure of the above-reference applicationis incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for any and allpurposes.

Turning now to FIG. 2, a method of operation for a pipeline inspectionrobot begins at block 200. At block 200, the method includes beginning ascan by activating one or more transmission sources (e.g., X-ray tubes)and triggering directional movement of the robot. The activation of theX-ray tubes and triggering of directional movement may occur in responseto one or more user interface inputs as described above.

At block 202, the method includes acquiring image data by capturingimages from two or more azimuths. In some embodiments, a user mayreceive real-time image capture results which are transmitted betweencontrol box 150 and remote control 154. Further, a user may control thespeed of the directional movement of the robot during a capture phase.The speed may be controlled automatically, or based on user interfaceinputs under control of a skilled operator contemporaneously viewing thedisplayed image capture results. For example, a user may determine howmany milliseconds per line the detector captures, and then the softwarecontrols the speed of the robot accordingly. The image capture resultsmay be displayed in a scrolling fashion to permit the operator toobserve the contrast of the acquired image data. Accordingly, theoperator is enabled to adjust the speed based on the observed contrastto obtain a desired level of contrast in the image data.

At block 204, the method includes stopping the scan by deactivating theone or more transmission sources and stopping the directional movementof the robot. The deactivation of the one or more transmission sourcesand stopping of the directional movement of the robot may occur inresponse to one or more user interface inputs as described above.

At block 206, with the image data acquired, the method may furtherinclude converting the acquired image data to a static image. Theconverting of the acquired image data to a static image may occur inresponse to one or more user interface inputs as described above. Insome embodiments, a single user interface input may trigger thedeactivating of the transmission sources, the stopping of the robot, andthe conversion of the image data to a static image. It is alsoenvisioned that the static image may be a DICONDE static image. Afterblock 206, processing may end. Alternatively, processing may return toan earlier point in the process, such as block 200, to begin inspectionof another pipeline section. In some embodiments, processing may pausewhile transitioning between segments of a pipeline (e.g., when crossingover a pipeline support structure), or processing may continue while anobstacle avoidance mechanism may be activated for clearing and/or goingaround the pipeline support structure, as will be described in moredetail below.

At block 208, the method may include processing and/or analyzing thestatic image. For example, processing the static image may includeadjusting brightness and/or contrast of the static image, inverting,rotating, and/or filtering the static image, choosing measurement unitsfor the static image, and/or annotating the static image. Additionallyor alternatively, analyzing the static image may include measuring greyscale levels across a line profile of the static image and/or measuringan area of the static image. The processing and/or analyzing of thestatic image may occur in response to one or more user interface inputsas described above. After block 206, processing may end. Alternatively,processing may return to an earlier point in the process, such as block200, to begin inspection of another pipeline section.

Turning now to FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B and referring generally thereto, anembodiment of a pipeline inspection robot may be configured with tracks305 for traversing pipeline 304. In the illustrated embodiment, each ofthe tracks 305 may have an independent motor 306 to control speed anddirection of the individual track 305. A pair of axle position encoders302 may provide an axle angle data to a controller inside controlbox/housing compartment 300, which individually controls motors 306 andmay function to automatically level and/or center the robot on top ofthe pipeline 304.

In addition to motion control hardware and power supplies and otheraspects described with respect to FIG. 1, control box 300 may house oneor more X-ray tubes, such as a pair of 60 kV 12 W X-ray tubes. Thesetubes serve as radiation sources 310, as do additional radiation sources310 provided on a downwardly extended member 312. Together, theseradiation sources 310 produce X-ray beams 308 along more than oneazimuth. For example, the sources 310 are arranged so that the beams 308are directed along tangents to a circle that resides inside theinsulation and/or wall of the pipeline 304. A pair of linear detectors308 are arranged on perpendicular members that extend down beside andunderneath the pipeline 304 to receive the radiation from the beams, andeach sensor array of each detector is divided into two sensor arraysections 314 and 316 that produce separate imaging streams so that fourimages are captured contemporaneously. In the illustrated embodiment,the linear detector was selected which has an 800 micron pixel pitch inorder to obtain sufficient resolution and sensitivity for the currentembodiment, however other types of detectors may be utilized whichprovide performance suitable for the needs of the particular project.Each image stream provides a side view of a quadrant of the insulatedpipeline 304. Although four beams, four azimuths, and four arraysections are shown, it should be understood that other embodiments mayhave more or less (e.g., 2) azimuths, beams, and array sectionsdepending on particular inspection needs.

It is noted that embodiments may have one or more of the perpendicularmembers on which the linear detectors are arranged may quickly detachfrom and reattach to the robot to permit traversal of a support memberof the pipeline 304 as discussed above. For example, the member thatsupports the linear detector arranged beneath the pipeline may bereattachably detachable so that a pipeline support member may be clearedduring traversal of the robot or so that the robot may be removed fromthe pipeline 304. Alternatively or additionally, the member that extendsdown beside the pipeline may detachably detach form the robot, whichaccomplishes removal of both detectors. In alternative embodiments, suchas in embodiments including an obstacle avoidance mechanism as describedbelow, detectors 308 and sources 310 may be configured such that therobot may traverse support members without stopping the inspectionscanning. As will be described below, the obstacle avoidance mechanismof embodiments may allow the robot to position or move variouscomponents into a configuration to avoid and/or clear pipeline supportstructures.

FIG. 4 provides a schematic of some of the internal components,specifically PCB interconnect board 400A, inclinometer 400B, and motorcontrollers 400C-400D, of data interface unit 402, which may correspondto a part of control box 100 (see FIG. 1). It is appreciated that theillustrated components may be separated or combined with thefunctionality of other control/processing components. For example, asingle processing unit may be provided which handles all of the controlprocessing and interconnection of the component parts of the robot. Thearrangement of these components corresponds to the arrangement ofexternal components shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. For example, one rear end ofthe data interface unit has ports for an Ethernet umbilical 602, a trackrear left control cable 604, a track rear right control cable 606, anencoder rear signal line 608, a camera rear signal line 610, and a DCpower input 612. Additionally, an front end of the data interface unithas ports for a detector data and power connection 614, track front leftcontrol cable 616, a track front right control cable 618, an encoderfront signal line 620, and a camera front signal line 622. A cablebundle 700 (see FIG. 7) provides signal exchange between the robot and avehicle 800 (see FIG. 8) housing remote control equipment, such as arobot movement control screen and an image acquisition screen. It isenvisioned that other embodiments may have wireless communicationbetween the data interface unit and the remote control equipment.Further, one or more power sources may be located onboard the robot tofurther facilitate wireless use.

Turning to FIG. 9, user interface components for controlling movement ofa pipeline inspection robot may have one or more display regions 1000 todisplay video streams of the inspection area and controls 1002 forturning the streams and/or corresponding cameras on and off. Thesedisplay areas/cameras may be oriented in a plurality of directions. Inthe illustrated embodiment a front and rear view are shown. It isappreciated that other views and cameras may be available, e.g. lookingdirectionally left, right, and downward at different points on therobot. Another control 1004 governs forward or reverse direction oftravel of the robot, while control 1006 permits the operator to recenteran axle of the robot. Controls 108 permit the operator to start and stopthe movement of the robot, while additional controls 1010 allow theoperator to control speed of the robot, check status of the robot,configure manual inputs, and/or configure an automated mode that allowsthe operator to control the robot from a mobile device. Display regions1012 provide data to the operator, such as distance travelled, crawlerangle, and axle steering angles. It is appreciated that any additionalcontrols to implement the functionality described herein may also beprovided. For example, the cameras described above may be useful to anoperator to help move the robot and maintain the spatial orientation ofthe robot in order to capture effective imaging data. In someembodiments such assistance to a user may be provided with other typesof sensor data (e.g., electromagnetic imaging such as IR, Radar, and thelike, ultrasound, etc.). These sensor-based assistance measures mayutilize processing circuitry discussed above and provide feedbacksignals to steer the robot automatically. Additionally, andalternatively, the feedback may be provided to a user interface in amanner that allows a user to monitor conditions and data from saidsensors. It is further appreciated that each of these methods may beutilized individually or in combination to facilitate the functionalityof the robot.

Turning now to FIG. 10, user interface components for controlling imagedata acquisition by the robot include inputs for imaging parameters,scanning details, calibration information, and scrolling displayconfiguration. Display regions 1102 and 1104 provide a live energy lineand a waterfall plot. In scrolling mode, the image is displayed as it isacquired. Once the acquisition is complete, the image is displayed inthe image viewer window 1200 (see FIG. 11).

Turning now to FIG. 12, an alternative or additional user interface maybe provided to assist in the control of the image capture devices. Ascrolling display region 1300 provides a scrolling display of the imagedata as it is acquired. Detector calibration control 1302 may be used tocalibrate the detectors, and a window/level control 1304 may be used toadjust brightness and contrast of the images (which may includeadjusting the speed of the robot to allow for more or less exposure on aparticular area of pipe). Detector settings may be observed andcontrolled by component 1306, and a scan may be started or stopped bycontrols 1308. In the detector settings window a user may change varioussettings to optimize the system. For example, a user may change PixelBinning settings to combine pixels together which will increase signalbut decrease resolution. Lines per second settings allows a user tocontrol the speed of acquisition. RCX beginning position and Endposition settings allows a user to choose a section of detector to use.Control 1310 may specify a length of the scan, which may cause the scanto end automatically once the specified length of traversal iscompleted.

Turning now to FIGS. 13-16 and referring generally thereto, the userinterface may have various controls for displaying and processing astatic image after the image data is acquired. In the illustratedembodiments, the static image is a 2D image that may have differenttools and filters applied to change the way the image is viewed and/ororiented without changing the basic characteristics of the image. Insome instances the image may be viewed in negative or positive modes.For example, under an appearance tab, various controls 1400 enable auser to window/level, invert, rotate, and adjust the image forpresentation. A user may also perform a spatial calibration to measureindications in the image. Grayscale intensity readings in differentregions may also allow a user to calculate density differences.Additionally, under an image processing tab, various controls 1500enable a user to apply various filters to the image, such as an embossfilter, as shown in FIG. 16. Also, under an annotation tab, variouscontrols 1700 enable a user to choose measurement units and annotate theimage. As shown in FIG. 16 areas of higher density (the lighter areas)which are the lead numbers and image quality indicators and areas oflower density (the dark areas) indicating pitting in the pipe wall. Theevenly spaced lighter lines are the overlapped seams in the spiralwrapped insulation jacketing. The images provided herein are of spiralwrapped insulated pipe and the dark areas displayed indicate pitting inthe pipe wall, the darker the area the more wall loss there is. Theperpendicular lighter bands at regular intervals are the overlappedseams in the insulation wrapping. The plot in FIG. 17 allows the user tomeasure grayscale levels along the line giving the user the ability todetermine the amount of wall loss.

Referring finally to FIG. 17, the user interface may also have variouscontrols 1800 under an analysis tab that enable a user to analyze theimage. For example, the user may generate a plot 1802 of greyscalelevels along a profile line 1804. Alternatively or additionally, an areameasurement tool may enable the user to measure an area of the image.

As noted above, pipeline support structures may be deployed throughoutthe length of a pipeline in order to provide structural support. Forexample, with reference with FIG. 19, pipeline 304 may be supported byat least one pipeline support structure 1910. Pipeline support structure1910 may be configured to hold and/or maintain pipeline 304 in place,but may represent an obstacle to the robot as the robot traversespipeline 304. It is noted that although pipeline support structure 1910is illustrated as a Y-type structure supporting pipeline 304, this isfor illustrative purposes and it will be understood that pipelinesupport structure 1910 may be configured in various differentconfigurations, such as a clamp style support surrounding pipeline 304,etc. Indeed, what is of significance to the present disclosure is thatpipeline support structure 1910 may present an obstacle to the robottraversing pipeline 304. In some implementations, the obstacle may notbe a structural support but may be any other obstacle to the robot'straversal.

Aspects of the present disclosure provide an obstacle avoidancemechanism that may allow the robot to detect and avoid obstacles whiletraversing and inspecting the pipeline. As such, the robot ofembodiments may be able to traverse and inspect the pipeline withoutinterruptions, and/or without requiring manual disconnection of variouscomponents, such as the radiation sources and/or the linear detectors,in order to transition the robot from one pipeline segment to another.FIGS. 19-21 show various views of an example obstacle avoidancemechanism of the pipeline inspection robot.

In aspects, implementing the obstacle avoidance mechanism may includeconfiguring the robot, as described above, such that radiation sources310 are coupled to and/or disposed on arm 1920, and such that lineardetectors 308 are coupled to and/or disposed on arms 1921, 1922, and1923. Arms 1920, 1921, 1922, and 1923 may also be configured to providesupport for their respective radiation source and linear detector.

Arm 1921 may be coupled to linear detector 308 via motor and gear boxassembly 1930. Motor and gear box assembly 1930 may include a motor forproviding rotation and movement of linear detector 308 as appropriate,and may also include a gear box for providing torque control to therotation. In aspects, the gear box may include high-support bearings inorder to provide proper support for the weight of linear detector 308.Similarly, arm 1921 may be coupled to arm 1923 via motor and gear boxassembly 1931. Motor and gear box assembly 1931 may be configured in asimilar manner and may include similar components as motor and gear boxassembly 1930. In particular, motor and gear box assembly 1931 mayinclude high-support bearings in order to provide proper support for theweight of arm 1921 and linear detector 308. Arm 1923 may be coupled tothe robot via motor and gear box assembly 1932, which may be similar tothe motor and gear box assemblies 1930 and 1931. In particular, motorand gear box assembly 1932 may include components, such as high-supportbearings, in order to provide proper support for the weight of arm 1923,motor and gear box assembly 1931, arm 1921, motor and gear box assembly1930, and linear detector 308.

Arm 1922 may be coupled to linear detector 308 via motor and gear boxassembly 1934. Motor and gear box assembly 1934 may include a motor forproviding rotation and movement of linear detector 308 as appropriate,and may also include a gear box for providing torque control to therotation. In aspects, the gear box may include high-support bearings inorder to provide proper support for the weight of linear detector 308.In some aspects, arm 1922 may be coupled to the robot via motor and gearbox assembly 1933, which may be similar to the motor and gear boxassembly 1934. In particular, motor and gear box assembly 1933 mayinclude high-support bearings in order to provide proper support for theweight of arm 1922, motor and gear box assembly 1934, and lineardetector 308.

Arm 1920 may be configured to provide support for radiation sources 310.In aspects, arm 1920 may be coupled to arm 1924 via motor and gear boxassembly 1936. Arm 924 may in turn may be coupled to the robot via motorand gear box assembly 1935. Motor and gear box assemblies 1935 and 1936may be similar to motor and gear box assembly 1930, and may includesimilar components. In particular, motor and gear box assembly 1935 mayinclude high-support bearings in order to provide proper support for theweight of arm 1924, motor and gear box assembly 1936, arm 1920, andradiation sources 310.

In some aspects, the various components of the obstacle avoidancemechanism of the pipeline inspection robot may be configured to providemovement of various parts, assemblies, and/or components of the robot inorder to avoid obstacles. For example, as the robot traverses pipelines,an obstacle may be detected in accordance with features described below,in which case, the motors and gear boxes of the robot may be activatedto position the various arms, radiation sources, and linear detectors ina position to avoid the detected obstacle. This functionality of thepipeline inspection robot will now be described with respect to theoperational flow diagram illustrated in FIG. 21. FIG. 21 shows anoperational flow diagram illustrating example blocks executed toimplement aspects of the present disclosure.

At block 2200, an obstruction on the pipeline may be detected. Inaspects, the detection of the obstruction may be done manually by auser, who may providing information on the obstruction to the robot, ormay be done automatically by the robot. For example, as the robottraverses pipeline 304, pipeline support structure 1910 may be detectedby a user manually, and the user may determine that pipeline supportstructure 1910 may be an obstruction to the robot. In additional oralternative aspects, the robot may include sensors configured to detectobjects on the pipeline. In this case, the robot may automaticallydetect pipeline support structure 1910, and may determine that pipelinesupport structure 1910 may be an obstruction. The sensors may bepositioned at various and different locations within and on the robot,and may help detect objects at different locations on the pipeline. Therobot may determine, based on the data from the sensor, whether theobject is an obstruction, or whether the robot may be able to traversethe pipeline around the object without having to make any adjustments.

At block 2201, obstacle avoidance may be determined to be activated.Determining to activate the obstacle avoidance of the robot may includedetermining that the detected obstruction is sufficiently significant(e.g., in size, location, etc.) that the robot may not continue totraverse the pipeline without adjustments. For example, pipeline supportstructure 1910 may be positioned on pipeline 304 such that as the robotmay not be able to traverse past pipeline support structure 1910 withoutmodification. In this particular example, pipeline support structure1910 may completely obstruct linear detector 308 disposed under pipeline304. In some implementations, pipeline support structure 1910 may alsoobstruct at least a portion of the linear detector 308 disposed on theside of pipeline 304. In yet another example, pipeline support structure1910 may also obstruct at least a portion of the radiation sources 310disposed on arm 1920 along the side of pipeline 304. In some aspects, itmay be determined that the detected object, e.g., pipeline supportstructure 1910, may not obstruct the robot, such as for example pipelinesupport structure 1910 not obstructing the linear detector 308 and/orthe radiation sources 310 disposed on the side of pipeline 304, in whichcase no adjustments may be required and so no obstacle avoidance may beactivated.

In some aspects, determining to activate the obstacle avoidance of therobot may include determining which particular components of the robotmay be adjusted. For example, it may be determined that pipeline supportstructure 1910 may obstruct the linear detector 308 disposed underpipeline 304, but may not obstruct the linear detector 308 disposedalong the side of pipeline 304. In this case, the obstacle avoidancemechanism of the robot may determine to actuate adjustments to move thelinear detector 308 disposed under pipeline 304 out of the way, but noadjustments may be activated to move the linear detector 308 disposedalong the side of pipeline 304.

In yet other aspects, determining to activate the obstacle avoidance ofthe robot may include determining a level of adjustment of theparticular components of the robot. For example, it may be determinedthat pipeline support structure 1910 may obstruct only a portion of thelinear detector 308 disposed along the side of pipeline 304, as pipelinesupport structure 1910 may only be disposed on a portion of thecircumference of pipeline 304. In this case, the obstacle avoidancemechanism of the robot may determine that avoiding pipeline supportstructure 1910 may not require moving the linear detector 308 disposedalong the side of pipeline 304 all the way up (e.g., to a fullyhorizontal position). Instead, the obstacle avoidance mechanism of therobot may determine that moving the linear detector 308 disposed alongthe side of pipeline 304 only partially may be sufficient for the lineardetector 308 to avoid pipeline support structure 1910. The level ofadjustment may be determined based on the position of the obstruction.

In aspects, determining to activate the obstacle avoidance of the robotmay include determining a direction of the adjustment of the particularcomponents of the robot. For example, where pipeline support structure1910 may obstruct the radiation sources 310 disposed along the side ofpipeline 304, the obstacle avoidance mechanism of the robot maydetermine to rotate arm 1920 in a clockwise direction or acounterclockwise direction.

At block 2202 obstacle avoidance may be activated. Activating theobstacle avoidance may include activating the appropriate motor and gearbox assemblies in order to move a respective arm, based on the detectedobstruction. For example, where it may be determined that pipelinesupport structure 1910 may obstruct the linear detector 308 disposedunder pipeline 304, activating the obstacle avoidance may includeactivating at least one of motor and gear box assemblies 1930, 1931, and1932, in order to move the linear detector 308 out of the way ofpipeline support structure 1910. In aspects, which motor and gear boxassembly is activated, in which direction, and which level ofadjustment, may be determined based on the operations at block 2200 and2201. For example, in one implementation, motor and gear box assembly1931 may be activated to rotate arm 1921 such that linear detector 308may be moved in direction 1950 from under pipeline 304 to a positionparallel with pipeline 304. In some cases, and depending on thelocation, size, and arrangement of pipeline support structure 1910, thismay be sufficient to move linear detector 308 out of the way of pipelinesupport structure 1910, in which case no further adjustments are made.However, in some cases, the obstacle avoidance mechanism of the robotmay determine that further adjustments are needed, e.g., becausepipeline support structure 1910 may still be in the way of lineardetector 308. In this case, the obstacle avoidance mechanism of therobot may activate motor and gear box assembly 1932 to rotate arm 1923,along with arm 1921 and linear detector 308 to a position sufficient toavoid pipeline support structure 1910. In aspects, this adjustment maymove arm 1921 in direction 1951, and may position arm 1921 parallel tothe longitudinal of pipeline 304. In some cases, motor and gear boxassembly 1930 may also be activated to rotate linear detector 308 suchthat if may face pipeline 304.

The above described adjustments may work especially well in a situationin which a second pipeline may be disposed under the pipeline 304. Inthis case, an adjustment in which linear detector 308 may be moveddownward may not be possible as the second pipeline may obstruct suchmovement. However, rotating arm 1921 such that linear detector 308swivels out from under pipeline 304 may not be a problem. In oneparticular implementation, linear detector 308 may be moved out fromunder pipeline 304 in a single movement, rather than severaladjustments. For example, arm 1921 may pivot at the point of motor andgear box assembly 1931, which may allow the rotation of the assemblyformed by arm 1921 and linear detector 308 to rotate outwards indirection 1951. Alternatively, the pivot point may be at the point ofmotor and gear box assembly 1932.

Additionally, or alternatively, activating the obstacle avoidance mayinclude activating the appropriate motor and gear box assemblies to movethe linear detector 308 and/or the radiation sources 310 disposed alongthe side of pipeline 304. For example, motor and gear box assembly 1933may be activated to rotate arm 1922, which may cause linear detector 308coupled to arm 1922 to move to a position parallel with the longitudinalof pipeline 304. Similarly, motor and gear box assembly 1935 may beactivated to rotate arm 1924, which may cause sources 310 disposed onarm 1920, to move to a position parallel with the longitudinal ofpipeline 304.

In aspects, the obstacle avoidance mechanism of the robot may beconfigured to continue to take measurement during the obstacle avoidanceoperations. For example, it is noted that, without the obstacleavoidance mechanism of aspects, the robot may not be able to takemeasurement of the location of the pipeline upon which pipeline supportstructure 1910 may be disposed, such as the area above pipeline supportstructure 1910. However, the obstacle avoidance mechanism of embodimentsmay allow the robot to take such measurements. For example, duringoperations, as the robot approaches pipeline support structure 1910, anddetermines to activate obstacle avoidance, motor and gear box assemblies1931 and 1932 may be activate to rotate the linear detector 308 out fromunder pipeline 304. In addition, motor and gear box assembly 1933 may beactivated to rotate and move linear detector 308 to a position parallelwith the longitudinal of pipeline 304. Furthermore, motor and gear boxassembly 1935 may also be activated to rotate and move radiation sources310 to a position parallel with the longitudinal of pipeline 304, but ona side of pipeline 304 opposite to detector 308. In this manner, whilethe robot traverses the pipeline avoiding pipeline support structure1910, radiation sources 310 and linear detector 308 may still be alignedand may be able to continue to take measurements on pipeline 304.

Those of skill in the art would understand that information and signalsmay be represented using any of a variety of different technologies andtechniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information,signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout theabove description may be represented by voltages, currents,electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields orparticles, or any combination thereof.

The functional blocks and modules described herein (e.g., the functionalblocks and modules in FIGS. 1 and 2) may comprise processors,electronics devices, hardware devices, electronics components, logicalcircuits, memories, software codes, firmware codes, etc., or anycombination thereof.

Those of skill would further appreciate that the various illustrativelogical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described inconnection with the disclosure herein may be implemented as electronichardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearlyillustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, variousillustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have beendescribed above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether suchfunctionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon theparticular application and design constraints imposed on the overallsystem. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality invarying ways for each particular application, but such implementationdecisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from thescope of the present disclosure. Skilled artisans will also readilyrecognize that the order or combination of components, methods, orinteractions that are described herein are merely examples and that thecomponents, methods, or interactions of the various aspects of thepresent disclosure may be combined or performed in ways other than thoseillustrated and described herein.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits describedin connection with the disclosure herein may be implemented or performedwith a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmablegate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate ortransistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combinationthereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Ageneral-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in thealternative, the processor may be any conventional processor,controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also beimplemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combinationof a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one ormore microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with thedisclosure herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a softwaremodule executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. Asoftware module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory,EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, aCD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Anexemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that theprocessor can read information from, and write information to, thestorage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integralto the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in anASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, theprocessor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in auser terminal.

In one or more exemplary designs, the functions described may beimplemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on ortransmitted over as one or more instructions or code on acomputer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computerstorage media and communication media including any medium thatfacilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another.Computer-readable storage media may be any available media that can beaccessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way ofexample, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can compriseRAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that canbe used to carry or store desired program code means in the form ofinstructions or data structures and that can be accessed by ageneral-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose orspecial-purpose processor. Also, a connection may be properly termed acomputer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmittedfrom a website, server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable,fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or digital subscriber line (DSL), thenthe coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, or DSL, are includedin the definition of medium. Disk and disc, as used herein, includescompact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc(DVD), hard disk, solid state disk, and blu-ray disc where disks usuallyreproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically withlasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within thescope of computer-readable media.

As used herein, including in the claims, the term “and/or,” when used ina list of two or more items, means that any one of the listed items canbe employed by itself, or any combination of two or more of the listeditems can be employed. For example, if a composition is described ascontaining components A, B, and/or C, the composition can contain Aalone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination;B and C in combination; or A, B, and C in combination. Also, as usedherein, including in the claims, “or” as used in a list of itemsprefaced by “at least one of” indicates a disjunctive list such that,for example, a list of “at least one of A, B, or C” means A or B or C orAB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C) or any of these in anycombination thereof.

The previous description of the disclosure is provided to enable anyperson skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Variousmodifications to the disclosure will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may beapplied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scopeof the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited tothe examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded thewidest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosedherein.

Although embodiments of the present application and its advantages havebeen described in detail, it should be understood that various changes,substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to belimited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine,manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps describedin the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readilyappreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes,machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps,presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantiallythe same function or achieve substantially the same result as thecorresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according tothe present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended toinclude within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture,compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. Moreover, the scope ofthe present application is not intended to be limited to the particularembodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter,means, methods and steps described in the specification.

1. A robotic device configured for pipeline inspection operations, therobotic device comprising: at least one radiation source; at least onelinear detector coupled to a first arm of a plurality of arms, the atleast one linear detector configured to be disposed along a first sideof the pipeline during the pipeline inspection operations; and theplurality of arms, wherein at least one arm of the plurality of arms isconfigured to rotate to move at least one of the at least one radiationsource and the at least one linear detector in order to avoid anobstruction on the pipeline.
 2. The robotic device of claim 1, whereinthe at least one radiation source is disposed on a second arm of theplurality of arms, the at least one radiation source configured to bedisposed along a second side of the pipeline during the pipelineinspection operations, the second side being opposite to the first sidesuch that the at least one radiation source and the at least one lineardetector are aligned.
 3. The robotic device of claim 2, wherein thefirst arm and the second arm of the plurality of arms are configured torotate to move the at least one linear detector and the at least oneradiation source, respectively, in order to take measurements on acondition of the pipeline while traversing the obstruction on thepipeline.
 4. The robotic device of claim 1, further comprising at leastone sensor configured to detect the obstruction on the pipeline.
 5. Therobotic device of claim 4, wherein detecting the obstruction on thepipeline includes: detecting a location of an object on the pipelinedisposed on a path of the robotic device; and determining that thelocation of the object interferes with the path of at least a portion ofone of: the at least one radiation source, the at least one lineardetector, and the plurality of arms.
 6. The robotic device of claim 5,wherein the at least one sensor is further configured to: determine alevel of rotation of the at least one arm of the plurality of arms thatis sufficient to move the at least a portion of the one of: the at leastone radiation source, the at least one linear detector, and theplurality of arms in order to avoid the obstruction.
 7. The roboticdevice of claim 6, wherein the at least one arm of the plurality of armsis further configured to limit rotation to the determined level ofrotation in order to avoid the obstruction.
 8. The robotic device ofclaim 1, further comprising at least one motor and gear box assemblyconfigured to couple the at least one linear detector to the first armof the plurality of arms.
 9. The robotic device of claim 8, wherein theat least one motor and gear box assembly is further configured toinclude at least one bearing configured to support a weight of the atleast one linear detector.
 10. A method of operation for a pipelineinspection device, the method comprising: deploying the pipelineinspection device onto a pipeline, wherein the pipeline inspectiondevice includes: at least one radiation source, at least one lineardetector coupled to a first arm of a plurality of arms, and theplurality of arms; and initiating pipeline inspection operations,wherein the pipeline inspection operations include rotating at least onearm of the plurality of arms of the pipeline inspection device to moveat least one of the at least one radiation source and the at least onelinear detector in order to avoid an obstruction on the pipeline. 11.The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one radiation source isdisposed on a second arm of the plurality of arms, the at least onelinear detector configured to be disposed along a first side of thepipeline during the pipeline inspection operations, the at least oneradiation source configured to be disposed along a second side of thepipeline during the pipeline inspection operations, the second sidebeing opposite to the first side such that the at least one radiationsource and the at least one linear detector are aligned.
 12. The methodof claim 11, wherein the pipeline inspection operations further includerotating the first arm and the second arm of the plurality of arms tomove the at least one linear detector and the at least one radiationsource, respectively, in order to take measurements on a condition ofthe pipeline while traversing the obstruction on the pipeline.
 13. Themethod of claim 1, wherein in the pipeline inspection operations furtherinclude detecting the obstruction on the pipeline by: detecting alocation of an object on the pipeline disposed on a path of the roboticdevice; and determining that the location of the object interferes withthe path of at least a portion of one of: the at least one radiationsource, the at least one linear detector, and the plurality of arms. 14.A method comprising: placing at least one radiation source on a roboticdevice configured for pipeline inspection operations; placing at leastone linear detector on the robotic device, the at least one lineardetector coupled to a first arm of a plurality of arms of the roboticdevice, the at least one linear detector configured to be disposed alonga first side of a pipeline during the pipeline inspection operations;and configuring at least one arm of the plurality of arms to rotate tomove at least one of the at least one radiation source and the at leastone linear detector in order to avoid an obstruction on the pipelineduring pipeline operations.
 15. The method of claim 14, furthercomprising: disposing the at least one radiation source on a second armof the plurality of arms, the at least one radiation source configuredto be disposed along a second side of the pipeline during the pipelineinspection operations, the second side being opposite to the first sidesuch that the at least one radiation source and the at least one lineardetector are aligned.
 16. The method of 15, further comprisingconfiguring the first arm and the second arm of the plurality of arms torotate to move the at least one linear detector and the at least oneradiation source, respectively, in order to take measurements on acondition of the pipeline while traversing the obstruction on thepipeline.
 17. The method of claim 14, further comprising configuring atleast one sensor on the robotic device to detect the obstruction on thepipeline.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting the obstructionon the pipeline includes: detecting a location of an object on thepipeline disposed on a path of the robotic device; and determining thatthe location of the object interferes with the path of at least aportion of one of: the at least one radiation source, the at least onelinear detector, and the plurality of arms.
 19. The method of claim 18,further comprising configuring the at least one sensor to: determine alevel of rotation of the at least one arm of the plurality of arms thatis sufficient to move the at least a portion of the one of: the at leastone radiation source, the at least one linear detector, and theplurality of arms in order to avoid the obstruction; and limit rotationto the determined level of rotation in order to avoid the obstruction.20. The method of claim 14, further comprising configuring at least onemotor and gear box assembly to couple the at least one linear detectorto the first arm of the plurality of arms, and further configuring theat least one motor and gear box assembly to include at least one bearingconfigured to support a weight of the at least one linear detector.